Vassals of the “Prince of Pot” plead guilty

Two associates of the self-proclaimed “Prince of Pot” pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Seattle to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.

Michelle Rainey, 38, and Gregory Keith Williams, 54, both from Vancouver, B.C., made the pleas. Both worked at Emery Seeds and were indicted in 2005. Under a plea deal, prosecutors will recommend a sentence for both of two years probation.

Sentencing will be July 17.

The lead defendant in that 2005 indictment, Marc Emery, is still in Canada and is fighting extradition. He is supposed to have an extradition hearing in Canada on June 1.

He is a supporter of decriminalizing marijuana and his indictment has stirred passions in Canada — against both the wisdom of U.S. drug laws and their use against Emery and his employees.

According to court documents, Rainey worked for Emery — the Prince of Pot who says his business has sold more than 4 million marijuana seeds — from 1998 to 2005. She helped Emery’s business of sending marijuana seeds through the mail by filling orders.

Emergy told her to send seeds and growing instructions to customers, court documents say. Three out of four customers were in the U.S.

Williams handled phone orders for the business, according to court documents. He also sold seeds to walk-in customers.

Williams confirmed in court documents claims on the Emery website of the business’ taking in more than $3 million in year by selling marijuana seeds.